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Reasons to be thankful for AMC’s The Walking Dead

By Sonya Iryna

Tyler James Williams as Noah, Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Josh McDermitt as Dr. Eugene Porter, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha, Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, Michael Cudlitz as Abraham and Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes - The Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 10 - Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Tyler James Williams as Noah, Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Josh McDermitt as Dr. Eugene Porter, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha, Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, Michael Cudlitz as Abraham and Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes - The Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 10 - Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC /
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It’s the perfect time of year to reflect on why we love The Walking Dead and what this show and this community mean to us.

There are millions of fans of The Walking Dead, and every one of them has a story about why the show means so much to them. It’s amazing that a TV show has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many different kinds of people all over the world.

Good storytelling has the power to inspire new ideas, build communities, and change lives. The Walking Dead has done all of those things for fans. The world that Robert Kirkman created and that the talented and dedicated cast and crew have brought to life is a place of contradictions.

Darkness and light, good and evil, humanity and cruelty are all tied together to create a story that is unique and as old as time. In those contradictions we find ourselves. We see who we are, and who we want to be.

In the past people would gather around a fire to listen to epic stories of love, hate and survival. Those fairy tales and folk tales did more than entertain. They were a lifeline to people struggling in difficult situations and trying to survive in a difficult world.

Today we gather together in our homes around the TV and the computer, but for the same reason. We look to these stories told in shows like The Walking Dead to reassure us that no matter how bad things are, no matter what monsters lurk in the darkness or inside us, we can rise above it. We’re not too far gone. We can come back. We can choose humanity. We can choose hope, and life. We have the power to write our own endings.

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These tales also challenge us to examine our own attitudes and beliefs. They show us that ordinary people can do extraordinary things in terrible circumstance. Shows like The Walking Dead inspire us to be better people and to become the hero or heroine of our own stories.

What TWDFamily Said

TWDFamily, the giant and diverse fandom, is a fabulous community that has pulled together to do some amazing things. After Abe’s hilarious comment last season about “pouring the Bisquick” fans started bringing boxes of Bisquick and other food items to conventions to be donated to local food banks.

And that’s just one of many examples of the way that TWDFans have come together to do great things. So I turned to the community to find out what the show means to fans and why they are thankful for the show. Here are just a few of the great responses to the hashtag #ILoveTWDBecause:

Next: How to plan your TWD holiday party

I love The Walking Dead for many reasons. I love the storytelling and I love the characters. But I love the community too. So I’m thankful for the show, but also for you TWDFamily. This vibrant community is very special and touches the lives of so many people. I’m thankful to be part of it.

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